Hospital in the Home service: an innovative model for managing patients outside of acute care beds

The growing pressures on global healthcare systems, driven by an ageing population and increasing care complexity, necessitate innovative alternatives to traditional inpatient care. The ‘Hospital in the Home’ (HITH) model, offering acute-level care in patients’ homes, is an emerging solution that has gained traction in both the UK and Australia. This article outlines the establishment and development of a HITH service within one of Australia’s busiest tertiary referral hospitals, located in a socioeconomically deprived region in South Western Sydney. It examines how the service has evolved over time, significantly reducing hospital bed occupancy, managing diverse clinical conditions, and adapting to the specific needs of the local population. The analysis also offers insights into the challenges and future directions of the HITH model.